Mine-guard for ships.



W. H. BAKER.

MINE GUARD FOR SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19. 1915. r

1,200,068. Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

' 2 5HEET$$HEET 1 M /7. Baker hrs/7hr- W. H. BAKER.

MINE GUA'RD FOR SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19. m5.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

ED STATES PA MINE-GUARD FOR SHIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

Application filed March 19, 1915. Serial No. 15,466.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. BAKER, of the city of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, .and a citizen of the United States of America, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mine-Guards for Ships, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in mine guards for vessels, and the object is to provide means mounted in advance of a vessel adapted to clear the path of the vessel of floating or anchored mines.

A further object is to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive apparatus which may be raised out of the water and conveniently shipped, when the vessel is passing through waters not sown with mines.

The invention consists essentially of an adjustable device mounted on the bow of a vessel .and extending down into the water slightly more than the vessels draft and extending to either side a distance slightly greater than the vessels beam, so that any mine or mine mooring in the immediate path of the vessel will be engaged by the device.

This invention is capable of many forms or modifications, of which a few are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the elementary formof the device. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the folding of the apparatus. Fig. 4 is a side elevation-showing a further development of the idea. Fig. 5 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing a still further development. Fig. 7 shows a modification of the device. Fig. 8 shows a modification of the mineengaging arms.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 11 designates a vessel having a suitable anchorage 12 for the guard secured to the stem thereof. In the elementary form shown in Fig. 1, the guard consists of a suitably constructed frame 13 pivoted at one end at 14 to the anchorage 12 and provided at its forward end with a pair of laterally extendible arms 15, pivotally mounted at 16, near one end The opposite end is hooked as shown at 17. Operating rods 18 are provided pivotally connected to the short arms of the'members 15 and connected by links 19 with a suitable point 20 on the anchor casting. The device is raised or lowered by means of a cable 21 connected to a suitable part thereof, and passing over a sheave 22 at the top of the stem. When in use, the device projects in advance of the vessel, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, the frame 13 being arranged at an incline and extending down into the water a distance slightly greater than the draft of the vessel. When the device is lowered, the arms 15 are automatically extended to the position shown in Fig.

2, by reason of the eccentric arrangement of the pivot points 14 and 20. n For the same reason, when the frame 13 is raised to vertical position shown in dotted lines, the arms 15 fold upon the frame. This folding operation is shown in Fig. 3.

In the development of the invention shown in Fig. 1' et seq. the member of boom 13 is jointed intermediate its ends at 23, so as to fold flat against the hull of the vessel, as shown in dotted lines, instead of being raised to an elevated position, as shown in Fig. 1.

'VVhen folded, the joint of the boom rests on a suitable bracket 24 secured to the hull.

The operation of the members 15 is identical with that already described, but the structure is slightly different, the rods 18 being omitted and the links 19 connected direct from the members 15 to the pivotal point 20, which is located on one of the boom members adjacent the pivot 23 instead of on -the anchorage 12 adjacent the pivotal point 14. A further development of the device is a worm gear, designated 25, by means of which the device may be folded or unfolded eitherwith or without cooperation of the cable 21. For mines which have been placed without anchorage or have broken from their anchorage,'a net 26 may be provided secured at its lower end to the arms 15 and suspended at the upper end from the vessel by any suitable means.

The arrangement previously described is intended only for single mines, and would not be of much avail against series mines, that is, mines sown in groups and connected by cables which are just awash or a few inches submerged. This type of mine is the most dangerous, as it covers a large area, and a vessel fouling the connecting hawser will draw two or more mines against her hull, where they will explode simultaneously. The form of the invention previously described would be of little avail against a series of mines, and therefore I provide in addition to the device already described, a vertically disposed rake having a long arm 27 extending up to or slightly above the surface of the water, and a short arm 27 converging toward the long arm, and extending below the extremity of the frame. At the point where these arms meet, a cable cutter 28 is provided operated from a small cylinder or the like 29 receiving air through a pipe 30 from the vessel. Located at the entrance to this cutter is a trigger lever 31 arranged to operate the air valve 32 of the cylinder 29. A slightly different form of device is shown in Fig. 7 for accomplishing the same purpose. This consists of a small but powerful gun 33 arranged muzzle up at the foot of the frame, and having its trigger connected to a cord or Wire 84: extending vertically upward to any suitable point of attachment. A member 27 is provided extending from below the extremity of the frame to the muzzle of the gun to engage a much submerged hawser. The arms 27 and 27 are attached to the unnumbered cross member which carries the arms 15. The braces are attached to the boom 13 or 13 as the case may be.

In Fig. 8, a slight modification of the device is shown. The arms 15 instead of be ing pivoted to the frame for movement in say a horizontal plane, are hinged at their ends, as shown at 35, and are adapted to be folded together when the device is inoperative. The operating mechanism may be of any suitable type, such as an arrangement of cables.

The operation of the device, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, is extremely simple. The span of the arms is suitably greater than the beam of the vessel, so that any mine which is out of reach of these arms will not under any ordinary circumstances come in contact with the sides of the vessel. As the vessel moves through the water, if a mine is anywhere in its path, the mooring cable of the mine will be engaged by one or other of the arms 15 and the cable will drag along under the arm until the mine contacts with the arm and is exploded. It may happen that the mooring will break, in which case the mine will be caught by the net 26 and either carried along or exploded by the contact. It will be seen that the arms 15 are below the bottom of the vessel, so that anything which passes under these arms will not touch the vessel. In the case of series mines, the connecting hawser will engage one or other of the rake arms and be drawn down into the cutter 28, automatically bringing the cutter into operation by shifting the lever 31. The rake, as will be seen, extends from the surface to some distance below the bottom of the vessel, so that any hawser over which the rake will pass will be clear of the vessel. When the hawser is cut, the release of tension will cause the mines to move apart, and if one or both still remain in the path of the vessel, their moorings will be caught by the arms 15. In the form shown in Fig. 7, a deeply submerged hawser will slide up the member 27 and engage the trigger'cord 34, or if floating above, will engage the trigger cord. In any event, the-trigger cord will be tensioned by the hawser when the latter is directly above the gun, so that the gun will be discharged, and in the comparatively short range, it is almost unavoidable that the hawser will be cut by projectiles from the gun.

lVhen the vessel is not traveling through mine strewn waters, the device is of course raised out of the water and folded against the hull, so that there is nothing to retard the vessels speed. Spare parts for the device would of course require to be carried, so that any parts damaged by mine explosions could be replaced. Obviously, the length of the frame must be such that the explosion of a mine against the arms 15 will have no effect on the vessel.

While it is only possible to contemplate in detail a few of the possible variations, it will be understood that the scope of the present invention includes all devices of a similar nature carried in front of a vessel and adapted to gather, divert or explodefloating or submerged mines in the path of? a vessel.

I-Iavmg thus described my invention, what I claim 1s 1. In a device of the character described, a framework pivotally mounted at the bow' said framework, and means for automatically folding said arms upon the frame-- work during raising thereof.

2. Ina device of the character described, a framework secured to the bow of the vessel and normally projecting in advance thereof, a cable cutter mounted on the frame, an operating device for said cutter, cable engaging means extending from the frame and arranged to direct a cable into said cutter, and a trigger lever at the entrance of the cutter arranged to start the cutter operating means.

8. In a device of the character described, a framework adj ustably mounted at the bow of a vessel and normally projecting in advance of the vessel, a joint intermediate the ends of said framework, brackets secured to the sides of the vessel, and means for folding said framework upon itself and to rest upon said brackets.

4. In a device of the character described, a framework pivotally secured at one end to the bow of a vessel, and jointed intermediate its ends, laterally projecting arms pivotally mounted at the front end of said framework, brackets secured to the sides of the vessel, means for folding the framework upon itself and to rest upon itself, and means for automatically folding the laterally projecting arms upon the framework during the folding of the framework.

5. In combination with a vessel, a mine guard comprising a framework adjustably secured to the bow of a vessel, and normally projecting in advance thereof, laterally projecting foldable arms secured to said frame, and a net secured to said laterally projecting arms.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. BAKER. Witnesses:

C. W. TAYLOR, G. M. MORELAND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

